Philly police SafeCam program proves successful

Michael Showers, 40, was recently arrested as a result of the SafeCam program. (Credit: Philadelphia Police Department).

The Philadelphia Police Department’s SafeCam program, through which civilians can register the location of their surveillance cameras so officers can contact them for footage in the event of a crime, is proving to be a success, leading investigators to solve 85 crimes and make 37 arrests since January, the department announced Wednesday.

Most recently, the program led to the arrest of Michael Showers, 40, suspected of robbing a Subway sandwich shop in South Philadelphia.

Showers was taken into custody May 30 after surveillance video of his alleged crime was circulated to media outlets.

There are currently 360 city cameras registered with the program.

Police said they serve as crucial tools to both deter neighborhood crime and to assist police in investigations when incidents do occur.

Registration – which is free, confidential and only takes about 10 minutes – simply entails giving out basic information and the location of a property’s cameras.

That can be done by visiting the SafeCam website or by emailing safecam@phillypolice.com.

After the registration is complete, property owners will be contacted by a member of the police department, who will verify the camera and provide a SafeCam decal that can be displayed in the window of the desired home or business.

If there’s a crime in the camera’s vicinity, police will contact the property owner and, if necessary, request a copy of surveillance video the camera recorded.